Michigan's Elliot Cadeau declares for NBA Draft, but no need to worry

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On Thursday, the Wolverines added former LSU big man Jalen Reed in the transfer portal, the second SEC addition of the offseason after Michigan landed a commitment from former Tennessee forward J.P. Estrella earlier in the month.

Cadeau, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound facilitator, averaged 10.5 points and 5.9 assists per game in his first season with U-M after spending the first two campaigns of his career at North Carolina.

While his 41.1% shooting percentage was the lowest of his career, his 3-point rate (37.6%) was the best of his three-year career. Cadeau scored in double figures in more than half of U-M's games (21) and had six games with double-digit assists, recording three double-doubles.

Cadeau, who will be a senior next season, tied a season-high with 19 points in U-M's championship victory over UConn and averaged 12.3 points and 7.5 assists in six NCAA Tournament games. In the process, he showed he can lead a team to the highest levels of the sport even without a true backup: He played 30 minutes or more in nine of Michigan's final 11 games.

He will partner in the backcourt with Trey McKenney and will be supplemented in the backcourt by five-star freshman Brandon McCoy. According to 247Sports composite rankings, Michigan has the No. 1 incoming class in the nation when combining transfer portal and high school recruits.

Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball's Elliot Cadeau declares for 2026 NBA Draft